From Penang to Dungun to Engage with Youths on Unity

Projek57 Malaysia20 Aug 2017

A sunny morning greeted our cycling team as they prepared themselves for the next leg. Unity Ride 3rd Leg which starts from Penang, passing by UNESCO World Heritage Site, Georgetown. From Georgetown our crew and team hitch a ride on Penang’s iconic ferry to Butterworth. During the ferry ride, Collin, Sadiq and Barry (our cycling newest cycling teammate) got a chance to chill out and enjoy the sea breeze before touching down at Butterworth.

The ride to Sungai Petani was a long, easy and relaxing ride. As the journey continues, our team managed to meet people from all walks-of-life. They stopped over at Makcik Nora’s stall which sells nangka madu (honey jackfruit) by the roadside. While Collin, Sadid and Barry were enjoying the sweet fruits, Makcik Nora, 52 enquired about Unity Ride.

As Sadiq and Collin explained to her on Unity Ride’s purpose, she quipped while offering fried cempedak (also called jackfruit, however with a stronger smell) to them, “Tak kira you bangsa apa, kita sama-sama anak-anak Malaysia.” (No matter what race you are, we are all equally Malaysians.)

After a lovely chat with Makcik Nora, and filled themselves with the juicy, sweet nangka and cempedak, they resumed their ride to Sungai Petani. Finally, after a 50KM ride, they reached Sungai Petani Clock Tower to mark the 3rd Leg completion.

Our 4th Leg is an interesting journey. We will be stopping by at Sekolah Menegah Sains, Dungun, for a Unity workshop. The morning started off with a light, cool drizzle in Terengganu. Joining us for the first half of the ride is Allianz Malaysia cycling team.

This is one of the few relaxing routes for Unity Ride cycling team. They passed by beautiful sandy beaches, cool and calm kampungs throughout Dungun. Since Dungun is a coastal district, there are plenty of coconuts available. The entire team got to enjoy a refreshing coconut drink at one of the roadside stalls before heading to SM Sains.

We were greeted by an enthusiastic group of cyclists as we approached Simpang Tanjung Jara. The school's Tuan Pengetua (Headmaster) himself led 30 cyclists comprising of school teachers and students to join our cycling team and ride together. Collin was happily chatting with them about their daily lives and ambitions during the ride.

This made the entire journey to Dungun more memorable for Collin and Sadiq. They were able to engage with these youths and was touched by their eagerness to participate in the ride even though they do not have the proper riding gear. One of the students was riding his bicycle in a pair of socks and slippers, just to show his enthusiasm!

Together, they cycled by the sea into the school compound where they were given a most energetic reception by the rest of their schoolmates. These students cheered as they arrive by playing the kompang (a Malay traditional musical instrument like a small drum) and bearing hand-painted banners.

The group had lunch together in the school’s canteen before gathering to attend a Unity Workshop conducted at the school hall. Few activities were planned us during the workshop by Taylor’s undergraduates - Izlin, Azureen, Goh Dong, Tanisha and their lecturer, Kelly Tee.

The workshop starts off with an introduction of the speakers. Collin and Sadiq explained Projek57’s objectives and purpose of the Unity Workshop. Next, was a short quiz and presentation about Unity.

Students were divided into groups for the next 2 activities. The 1st activity is ‘what is unity to you?’. Answers were written on colourful sticky notes, such as:

Amira Aisyah, 16

Perpaduan adalah, apabila semua kaum bersatu.
(Unity is when all races are united)

For the 2nd activity, students worked in groups to identify problems related to unity in their school and propose a solution. They worked so well as in a team and trying to come up with the best solutions. Finally, they got to present their solutions confidently in English to Collin and Sadiq. The winning team thought out of the box on how to solve issues of discord amongst themselves in school.

The Unity Workshop conducted by Taylor's undergraduates was very successful and interactive. They had managed to interact with the students. Taylor's undergraduates had a survey with the students to translate that data into an impactful report.

SM Sains students had a chance to learn and experience new skills through this Unity Workshop, such as:

Problem-solving skills.

Communication skills.

Thinking out of the box.

Patience.

Working as a team.

Leadership skills.

Presentation skills.

Public speaking skills.

Projek57 Orang Asli interns had a chance to share their experiences and stories about unity with the students. Many of the students took many pictures with Unity team and Taylor's undergraduates. Students were treated to a screening of Ola Bla, The Movie, by Astro Shaw in their school hall after the presentation and conclusion of Unity Workshop.

"Terima kasih, Tuan Pengetua. Kamis semua terharu atas sembutan meriah yang diberi kepada kami semua. Satu kenanggan manis yang kami tidak akan dilupakan. Insyallah, kami diberi peluang untuk mengadakan program seperti ini pada masa akan datang." Collin and Sadiq.
(Thank you, dear Headmaster. We are all overwhelmed by the kind gesture given to us all. A sweet memory which we will never forget. Insyallah, we are given the chance to hold a program like this in the future.)